Attack
ARTIST STATEMENT
I didn’t want to glorify war, however the courage and valour of these young Japanese submariners is to be respected and admired.
I hope these paintings leave the viewer with some understanding of this passage of Australian history.
It was a great honour and challenge to be given this commission by the Mosman Art Gallery.
Ken Done, Sydney 2012
ATTACK: Japanese midget submarines in Sydney Harbour is a collection of paintings by Ken Done.
On the night of 31 May 1942, three Japanese midget submarines entered the waters of Sydney Harbour – the surprise attack resulted in chaos and panic in the nation’s largest and oldest city and left an indelible mark on Australian identity and the course of our history. 2012 was the 70th Anniversary of these events, and to mark this important anniversary, Mosman Art Gallery commissioned artist Ken Done to interpret and respond to this remarkable story.
